Just this past week the Tuolumne fire tripled in size, engulfing over 203 square miles, which is about the size of Chicago. The Tuolumne fire is now one of the largest California wildfires since 1932.

The Tuolumne fire forced an additional 1,600 homes to be evacuated in Tuolumne City and Ponderosa Hills. Police went door-to-door to urge residents to flee the approaching Tuolumne fire.

The origins of the Tuolumne fire are not yet known, but firefighters are losing control near Yosemite National Park. Only seven percent of the Tuolumne fire is contained, and Yosemite National Park rangers are afraid that Yosemite’s giant sequoias are in danger from strong winds:

“All of the plants and trees in Yosemite are important, but the giant sequoias are incredibly important both for what they are and as symbols of the National Park System…. The wind could push [the Tuolumne fire] further up north and northeast into Yosemite and closer to those communities and that is a big concern for us.”

Rim Fire Threatens San Francisco

2,600 firefighters worked overtime this weekend to contain the Tuolumne fire with bulldozers and water-dropping aircraft. The Rim Fire is now threatening the electrical power grid system which supplies the San Francisco area.

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has shut down two of its three hydroelectric power stations but they’ve managed to keep the city powered by purchasing electricity from other states. San Francisco’s water supply has not yet been contaminated, but the Rim Fire is continuing to grow.

What do you think should be done to prevent California wildfires like the Tuolumne fire?